The Future of the Fire Service: reducing risk, saving lives The Independent Review of the Fire Service December 2002 Contents Foreword i 7 Implementation and management policy 57 Effective organisation 57 Executive Summary iii Effective management 63 List of Recommendations vii 8 Pay 74 Pay levels 74 List of Figures xi Pay proposals 78 A new pay structure 81 List of Tables xii Senior staff 85 9 Pensions 88 1 Introduction 1 Firefighters’ Pension Scheme 88 2 What we did 4 Key issues 91 10 Conditions of service 95 3 The Fire Service today 9 Grey Book 96 Role of the Fire Service 10 Disputes machinery 97 Trends in fire risk and safety 12 New core conditions of service 98 National standards of fire cover 16 Appointments and promotion regulations 100 Deployment of staff 20 Discipline arrangements 100 Co-operation and partnership 25 Negotiating machinery 101 Structure and management of the Fire Service 26 Restriction on the right to strike 102 4 The Fire Service tomorrow 30 11 Retained firefighters 104 Role of the Service 30 Position of retained firefighters 104 Working arrangements 32 Problems affecting retained firefighters 105 Direction and management 33 An integrated Fire Service 109 5 Risk and community fire safety 35 12 Implementing reform 111 Statutory fire safety 36 Implementation plan 111 Community fire safety 36 Resources 114 A new approach to fire cover 38 Implementation and after 121 6 Role of central and local government 45 Appendices 123 Policy-making in central government 45 1 References 123 The national dimension 48 2 Submissions of evidence 127 The regional dimension 50 3 Evidence meetings 129 Local leadership 52 4 Text of Framework document issued Devolved administrations 52 on 8 October 2002 130 5 Recruitment and pay data 134 6 Use of formulae in pay negotiations 139 7 Pension Schemes 141 8 Pay and benefits comparability studies 144 Foreword This report is the result of a three-month review which we have carried out into the UK Fire Service. It sets out our recommendations for how the service should change in the future to meet the demands of the twenty-first century. The Fire Service is paid for by the public and It is unfortunate that one of the unions concerned exists to protect them from the threat of fire, with the Fire Service, the Fire Brigades Union, accidents and other natural events.While it has not supported the work of the Review, can be justifiably proud of many of the things but this has not prevented us from carrying it does, it is entirely appropriate that from time out what we believe to be a thorough and to time, its work should be examined by an objective survey of the work of the Fire Service. independent body to ensure not only that it is We did not realise until we started this Review cost-effective, but that it gives the best possible just how much potential for reform exists in protection against an often very challenging and the current Fire Service. We were surprised occasionally life-threatening set of risks. at the extent to which the Fire Service has fallen While there have been many studies of the behind best practice in the public and private Fire Service in recent years, there is widespread sector. While there are excellent examples acceptance that these have resulted in little of change and new working practices, change, and there was, therefore, general regrettably they are not widespread. This has support for the work of our Review. We have resulted from a combination of factors, including carried out our work independently and an unsatisfactory industrial relations objectively. Membership of the Review was environment, a weak management system, put together with the co-operation of the and a lack of any feeling of ownership by those Government, the employers’ organisations and involved in managing the Service. And if no one fire authorities in England and Wales, Scotland group can be blamed for this state of affairs, and Northern Ireland, as well as the General certainly everyone involved in the Fire Service Secretary of the TUC. must bear their share of responsibility. i The Fire Service needs to be changed from top Change is only worthwhile when the benefits to bottom and every aspect of its work reformed exceed the costs. We are confident that, to bring it into line with best practice at the start given the scope for reform, the move to a more of the twenty-first century. There are major modern Fire Service will more than pay for itself challenges to be addressed in doing so, and we over time. In addition, we are confident that do not pretend otherwise. But the prizes are also more lives will be saved, property losses will be significant. Too many people still die as a result reduced, and, most importantly, communities of fires in the United Kingdom. We do not will feel safer as a result. compare well with other countries, and we have made little or no progress in recent years in driving down the threat of fire and other The important message is for everyone to accidents. While it may be an unachievable recognise both the need for change and the aspiration that no one should die from fire in gains from doing so. Staying where we are is the future, we believe there is plenty of scope not an option, and we believe that reform will to drive down fatalities, injuries, loss of property bring greater gains for everyone. We hope that and damage to the environment to negligible when you have read our report, you will agree. levels. This requires the combination of a focus We leave you with the words of one of the on fire prevention rather than incident response, members of the Fire Service who met us during different working practices, and a modern, one of our visits. Her message, quite simply, flexible, risk-based approach to allocating was ‘don’t let us down this time’. resources. This is not just a Fire Service responsibility; it is one for the whole community. The prize for those who work in the Fire Service Members of the Review is just as great. Many fire staff feel that they have fallen behind their colleagues in the rest of the economy, trapped in a narrow career with limited opportunities to develop or broaden their work. Our vision, of a new multi-disciplinary Professor Sir George Bain (Chairman) Fire Service, with a wider range of roles based President and Vice-chancellor, The Queen’s University of Belfast firmly in the local community, offers significant opportunities for those prepared to take them. Our recommendations too should transform the Service from an old-fashioned, white, male- dominated, manual occupation to one with Professor Sir Michael Lyons decent conditions and family-friendly policies Director, INLOGOV; Professor of Public Policy, Birmingham University; and lately, Chief Executive, Birmingham City Council which most other occupations already take for granted. Sir Anthony Young Trade Union Liaison Officer, Ethical Trading Initiative; and lately President of the Trades Union Congress ii Executive Summary 1. The Fire Service is a professional body Setting the policy for deserving much credit for its performance. the United Kingdom It has a well-deserved place in the nation’s esteem. Localised responses to emergencies 3. We therefore conclude that a fresh are working well, but it is a sad fact that too approach is required. This must start with a lead many people in this country die in fires and the from the Government. There needs to be a new number of fires is currently increasing each year. policy-making body, led by Ministers in the This cannot be right. Urgent action is required Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. This needs to make things better. We were aware when to set a framework, making clear what the we began our work that there had been a Government requires from the Fire Service; number of reviews of the fire service over recent the ways in which the Service should be years. Most of the recommendations of these modernised; and, critically, the way in which reviews have centred around the need for the Service has to reposition itself so that it modernisation and flexibility. So we were not concentrates its efforts on reducing and surprised to find that, in the discussions that managing the risk of fire rather than responding we had with fire authorities,fire brigade staff, to incidents. local authorities, government and all levels of stake-holders, the same message came New approach: community fire safety through. What is required is a new approach 4. A radically different approach is required. to protecting people from the incidence of fire. The focus at present is on fire authorities and brigades being able to react quickly Earlier studies to fires when they occur. And this has achieved 2. Notwithstanding the clear recipes for some success, although the number of fires change which came from earlier studies, is still increasing. What is needed now is a it was equally clear that progress had been system to tackle the problem before fire starts. disappointingly small. There are many reasons The new emphasis must be on the prevention for this, but most important is that there has of fire, rather than the methods of dealing with been a lack of leadership throughout the service fire after it has started. The approach should at the political, institutional and operational be grounded in community fire safety; the Fire levels. This problem has persisted for many years. Service has to engage more with the community to prevent fire.